Twist of Fate
by ArturusMyrddin
Summary: AU. A time twisting tale that has Merlin beginning his own thread of life, after he's been around for a few years. Merthur, of course. Rated T for now, to be safe. UP FOR ADOPTION


A/N: This story was started about 2 years ago, and was meant to be part of a series that went: The Beginning (A MUCH shorter version of Mythic Destiny), Worried Grim, A Camelot Dragon in Middle Earth, King of Prophecy, and then this one. I no longer have any clue where it was going, only a vague sense that I was trying to wrap some things up in the other stories. It is UP FOR ADOPTION so if you feel inspired, and want to take it over, or just use the idea. Go For It!

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Merlin leaned over and kissed Arthur's forehead, sending him into a deep, enchanted sleep as he did so. Eyes changing to a deep gold he flashed into the flow of time and space.

"Finally you've come to begin your story."

"Begin? My story began centuries ago."

"Destiny and fate, fate and destiny forever interwoven. To achieve your destiny it is your fate to help begin the weaving of your thread."

Merlin squeezed his eyes shut as he rubbed his forehead, "Great someone else who likes riddles. Show yourself."

"Not one but three that your thread weaves even as we weave all life. I am called Clotho, the Spinner. As youngest it is my duty to put the wool round the spindle thus spinning the thread of life as I sing of things that are."

"I am Lachesis, the Alloter. I determine the length of each thread save yours as I sing of things that were," a middle-aged woman joined the younger one's side before Merlin.

Finally an old woman joined the other two and said, "I am Athropus, the Never-turn-back. As eldest I sing of things that will be and cut the thread when the proper time for death has come for all save you."

"At birth we give each person their share of good and evil, as witnessed recently thanks to Vivian's tainted magic. Nothing is done against our ordinances and we punish all transgressions."

Merlin rolled his eyes, "Oh joy, the Moirai" he said as he starred at the three sisters of Fate. "So you called me here to begin my thread?"

"We did not call you, you arrived at the time you achieved your full power. This was needed to begin your story, before this you could not step into the flow as you can now."

Merlin held up his hand, "Only until I exist at this point can I step into the flow so that I can start the thread of my existence. Right, now I have a headache so let's just skip to what I need to do."

The grandmotherly figure smiled, "Mortals seldom keen the complex design we weave but the Cosmic Dragon is wise in his decision not to seek that which is hidden as the Fates are not all your thread weaves as it demands to be created and woven."

"As it is time for your destiny to begin my sister Clotho shall bring you to the village of your birth so that you may set the wool round spindle for her. Once you have achieved this I will meet with you upon the River Camlann in Cornwall." Lachness bowed as she departed.

"As your thread shall never be cut we shall not meet again. Thus I bid you farewell, it has been an honor." Athropus also bowed before leaving.

Clotho softly smiled as she moved them to the correct time and space, "Observe."

Merlin looked around at a village that looked slightly more busy and a tad cleaner than the one he remembered from his youth. Walking towards him was a young woman and an older man. As they got closer he could hear their conversation.

"It's kind of you to offer but I really don't mind going to the Harvest Festival by myself. You should ask Beatrice, I know you like her."

The elder man blushed and ducked his head as he answered, "She is going with one of the knights and I'm not asking you on my behalf."

"Why can't he ask me himself Gauis?"

Merlin started at the name of Camelot's court physician. Gauis smiled at the young woman, "He's currently calling a dragon caucus for King Uther but he will be here tonight in time for the dance. So, Hunith, will you meet him there?"

Merlin smiled as he heard his mother laugh, "If he's there I'm sure I'll see him. More then that depends on him. Does he know?"

"That your considered a spinster too old for marriage, yes. That you probably won't be able to bear a child, no. I told you that so you would know the odds of you conceiving considering your medical history not so you use it as an excuse to avoid dating."

"Gauis..."

Gauis held up his hand, "Let's not get into it. I want only the best for you Hunith and if you want to tell him after the dance that's your choice. Only, in case you missed it, he's a Dragonlord so don't be surprised if he's happy that you are more then likely barren."

"Well, I'm glad Gauis was wrong."

"He wasn't wrong Moros. This is how her strand stands at this point in time." Clotho held her palms close together and slowly drew them apart, revealing a thin, slender purple thread. "Touch it softly and see what is meant to be her fate."

Merlin looked at her out of the corner of his eyes as he tentatively reached out to caress his mother's thread, "Moros...that's a new one."

Clotho smiled shyly, "You are known in different times and places by many names. To the Greeks you are Moros, or Destiny. In my eyes it suits you best but I am sure that my sisters prefer other names for you."

Merlin chuckled as his index finger made contact and images assaulted him. He saw his mother at the Harvest Dance as she looked across the crowded barn and saw a handsome man. He saw her tilt her head as she considered before smiling and turning away.

"What? That's not...Where's the old man she's always credits for giving her the courage, and my name?"

Clotho sadly shook her head, "This is what is written now. Continue to observe Ancient One."

Merlin shook his head at his head at his new title even as he focused once more on the images. Months passed in a blink of an eye until a week after what should have been his birthday. The sky burned red overhead as unearthly howls filled the air. His mother lay in her bed fighting for each breath, the last person alive in Ealdor. Merlin drew his finger back in shock as his mother took her last breath.

"What happened?"

"Baba Jaga."

"Baba who?"

"Baba Jaga, the sorceress who killed young Arthur a week ago. She found a spell which allowed her to open the door between this world and the next, thus unleashing the Dorocha."

"I thought that needed a sacrifice?"

"It does, she spirited young Morgana out of Camelot on a broom made of silver birch. Her young, virginal seeress blood made the spell a lot more powerful."

Merlin felt faint, "All this is what is meant to be?"

Clotho released Hunith's life thread back into the mists of time, "Faith, such a fragile and delicate thing to have. Faith in ourselves, faith in others, and most importantly faith in the unknown. To have faith in what you can't see or touch is almost impossible yet sometimes such a little thing determines the pattern we Moirai weave. Your pattern is woven by you Moros." Clotho closed her eyes as she concentrated to reveal a heavily knotted life thread. "Each knot represents a change to the original thread, a place where our pattern has been rewoven by you."

Merlin took a deep breath, "And it starts the night of the dance. I'm the old man aren't I?"

Clotho beamed at him, "Yes."

With that one word Merlin found himself at the Harvest Dance. Quickly glancing down at himself he took in the worn blue robe and long, white beard before looking around for his mother. Spotting her just as her eyes found his father he hurried over to her side, his mother's story of this night wafting through his memories. She had just seen Balinor across the room when an elderly man had stumbled into her. When he had grabbed her waist to help keep them both upright she had heard him mutter some weird sounding word. When she had asked him what he had said he had smiled embarrassingly at her while saying that it just meant he was sorry. She had smiled even as her eyes had tracked back to Balinor. Noticing this the old man had asked her if she thought the young man was handsome. She had blushed and answered yes. The old man had then asked her why she wasn't going over to talk to the young man. She had sadly shaken her head and said that she couldn't, that it just wouldn't be right. The old man had taken her left hand between both of his, looked her straight in the eyes, and told her to have courage. Told her that Balinor and her would have a boy named Merlin who would be the light of her life and the bane of the Once and Future King. She had burst out laughing but those words had given her the courage to walk over and talk to his father. Merlin had been conceived that night.

Keeping that story in mind Merlin knew what to do, he just didn't know what word he needed to use to trigger the right magic. GECENNAN? TÚDORFÆST? Neither felt right to him and he was just seconds away from where his mother stood. Then it hit him, of course the proper magic wouldn't have anything to do with his mom it would have everything to do with him.

So, reaching Hunith he stumbled, reached, and muttered, "GÉOSCEAFT." Thus beginning the story he would hear over and over during his childhood.

As he watched his mother and father dance their first, and last, dance together Merlin slowly faded back into the flow of time and space.

Clotho nodded, "So it begins. Shall we witness your birth?"

Merlin rolled his eyes, "Let's say we did but actually miss it."

Clotho chuckled, "Sorry Moros your presence is required."

Merlin sighed as his mother's bedroom appeared around them. He quickly squeezed his eyes shut at the sight of his mother's half naked body on her bed. "This is just wrong!"

"Relax and listen closely."

Keeping his eyes closed Merlin took a few deep breaths and tried to zone out his mother's cries of pain as he stretched his awareness outward.

"HELP!"

In shock his eyes flew open, "Arthur!"

Clotho grabbed his arm before he could do anything, "Wait, you help him in a moment."

Merlin looked at her, "In a moment?!" he all but growled at her.

"Ancient One, calm down please. This is your birth day, take a breath and remember what happened when you were born."

Her words caused him to look back over to his laboring mother just in time to witness the midwife holding his infant self as she cut the cord. As his first cries echoed through the small room Merlin noticed the faint glow of a protection spell. His own eyes burned gold as he not only added a shield spell but also a destroy threat matrix into the infant's instinctive protection spell. The tiny ball of magic flared three times brighter as it rose up away from the infant and passed through walls of the cottage. Wrenching his arm out of Clotho's hold Merlin followed it, completely missing the look of fear on the midwife's face as she handed an equally shocked Hunith her infant son. As he streaked after the ball the ground around buckled and shook behind him. Clotho winced as she felt a dozen threads snap, including that of the midwife as she succumbed to a massive heart attack.

A young, handsome twenty-something man dressed in an expensive black suit appeared next to Clotho. She nodded in welcome, "Thantos."

He nodded back, "Clotho."

Clotho watched in silence as Death collected the mortal's soul before speaking, "He is not to be told the cost Thantos."

Thantos solemnly looked at her. As Death his power affected mortals but he was still subjected to the moirai despite that, unlike the Cosmic Dragon. "I disagree but will respect the decision of the moirai. You should follow him before he scares the little King even more than his magic will."

Clotho cocked her head, "Why do you disagree?"

Thantos briefly thought about ignoring her question before saying, "Awan is who he is and when he realizes what you have hidden from him it will not go well for you. Now go, I need to finish up here before our meeting with your sister on the field of battle." With those words he left her.

Clotho bit her lip for a moment Thantos probably had a point but their threads were not something over which they had control. If their fate was being woven by Moros then what would be already was. Especially if he was Awan, the divine energy that creates the Universe and the source of all things like Thantos believed he was. Departing Ealdor she flashed through space to arrive in Tintagel where Baba Jaga was making her first attack. Walking through the fires and destruction she caught up to Merlin as he stood quietly outside an old barn. Glancing around him and inside she saw an elder boy defiantly guarding a young blonde boy from several villagers.

The younger child was huddled with his arms around his knees as he sat on the dirt floor within a ball of crackling red and blue. The older one held a pitch fork in his hands, banishing it at the five villages in front of him. All five seemed intent on harming the little one as they angry gestured with knives and scythes.

"I overdid it no wonder he was terrified of magic. If it weren't for Lance the villagers would have probably tried to kill him, triggering the destroy threat matrix and their own deaths. Who knows what the results would of been them." Merlin sadly hung his head.

Clotho put her hand on his shoulder, "He's scared, yes but Moros look at his eyes. I don't think he's afraid of your magic."

Confused Merlin looked at her then over to Arthur. It was true the boy was terrified but there was wonder in his eyes when they drifted off the panicked villagers and traced the globe of magic that protected him. Merlin, smiled, that was the Arthur he knew. Apparently it had been the villagers' wild tales of this night that had caused Arthur's distrust of magic not the actual manifestation of Merlin's magic. Even at this young age Arthur recognized that someone was trying to protect him.

"Where's Baba Jaga?"

"Beyond my reach."

"How about mine?"

Clotho cocked her head to the left as she contemplated the question, "You are in all of all and a part of all Moros thus all seem to answer your call. Baba Jaga is magic but you ARE magic. That thread may lead you into her realm, you only need follow it."

Merlin's eyes blazed hot and he was gone. A moment later Clotho felt the shockwave as time folded and twisted into a new weave. She then felt herself pulled back out of time.

"Problem solved. Why am I still here?"

"What is shall be and was. A tale, a sword and a vision needs form."

Merlin starred at her a moment, "You have got to be kidding me."

Clotho just gave him a small smile.

Merlin sighed, "Right, first a sword." He flashed out for a moment and then he was back, "Camelot's best blacksmith's sword, check." He twirled it in his hand, "So, any clue how to magic it up into Excalibur?"

"Kilgharrah."

Merlin cocked his head to one side, "That little trickster never said anything about knowing me from before."

"He didn't as only now do you require his aid."

Merlin rolled his eyes, "Never mind, I'll be back."

This time it took longer but the shockwave was a bit more pronounced. This time Clotho was ready when Merlin flashed back, "Next a power like no other will cause major destruction unless those trying to contain it receive help."

"Huh?"

"Moros you didn't think four druids alone would be able to contain the first awakening of your power did you."

"But one died and three were close to dying come the next morning. My interference will change that outcome."

Clotho shook her head, "No, what is, will be, and what was thus only your inaction now alters the timeline you create."

"And I thought I had a headache before," Merlin ran a hand through his hair. "I really need to stop questioning this whole interference with the timeline or I'm going to go insane before we're through."

Clotho chuckled at Merlin's frustration, "We have been dealing with the pattern you are now weaving for a very long time Moros that is the only reason we seem to understand the flow."

Merlin rubbed his temples, "So you know only slightly more than I do and understand it even less. That's just so comforting." He sighed, "Okay, the druids' grove it is."

He faded back into the stream of time. Clotho felt the pressure build weighing down the flow of time. She could feel the fabric that held the essence of the universe begin to break. A few of the shorter threads snapped before she felt Moros reach out and violently wrench his wayward magic into obedience. Clotho was surprised when she was thrown off her feet by the pitch and roll of time through the outer reaches. As the ebb of time slowed, stopped, and then raced forward Clotho gingerly picked herself up. Here outside time was the one place that should be immune to the effects of Moros' magic.

The shockwaves that followed every new knot in the weave of time but for her to actually be affected as if by gravity and force was another. Perhaps her sister was right in her belief that they were in fact dealing with Atman, the mother, father, creator of it all. That unknown of when all are but the reflection of an individual's understanding of whence they come.

Merlin returned, "Well at least this time I was able to save the druid."

"You did so before thus now you are aware of the power you hold and see true."

Merlin groaned, "I did so, I do, and I have yada yada yada. Are we done yet?"

Clotho shook her head, "No Moros, we must venture to the Battle at Camlann so the myth can live."

* * *

GECENNAN - conceive

GÉOSCEAFT - destiny/fate

TÚDORFÆST - fertile


End file.
